Key Takeaways
- BioWare announced it will close after more than 30 years, bringing an end to the studio behind Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
- The closure also ends early development on the next Mass Effect game, which had reportedly been in the works since 2020.
- The announcement comes as Electronic Arts plans to cut roughly 400 jobs after a $55 billion acquisition that reportedly left the company with about $18 billion in debt.
BioWare is over.
In a statement shared on Wednesday (Oct. 21), the studio announced its fate, as well as the cancellation of the upcoming Mass Effect game.
“For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio,” the statement reads. “It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life. Baldur’s Gate. Neverwinter Nights. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age. Mass Effect. Anthem.
“Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending,” the statement continued.
The announcement comes at a time where Electronic Arts plans on laying off about 3 percent of its workforce, totaling about 400 employees, according to Bloomberg.
“Over the past several months, we’ve taken a hard look at our business, how we operate, and what it will take to lead in this next era of interactive entertainment,” EA chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber said in an internal memo, obtained by Variety.
Electronic Arts was officially acquired for $55 billion in August by a group that included Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund and Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of Donald Trump. Bloomberg reported that EA incurred about $18 billion in debt as a result of the deal.
Fans of the Mass Effect franchise are likely disappointed by the news since the next installment has reportedly been in development since 2020.
